Problem Solved
By Mitch Berg
Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:
Perhaps guided by the Obama Administration’s experience with the Sequester, it seems Minnesota Democrats don’t want to face another shut-down so they’re inserted a clever provision in their budget proposal to dodge it.
“Shutdown provisions: No one wants to raise the specter of government shutdowns in the current Legislature, so DFL lawmakers took a quieter route to assure government continues to work even if lawmakers don’t approve a budget in time. Tucked into the House omnibus state government and veterans bill, which passed off the floor on the first Saturday session of the year, DFL lawmakers included a proposal that would continue all budget appropriations for one year even if lawmakers fail to approve a budget by July 1. Just two years ago, parts of state government were shut down for more than three weeks when the governor and the Legislature couldn’t agree on a way to balance a more than $5 billion budget deficit.”
You know, maybe Republicans should take them up on it. Fail to pass a budget, continue all spending at current levels. Basically, it’s a freeze. Just leave spending frozen for, say, 10 years or so, until the economy catches up. No cuts, just no increases, a complete freeze at 2013 levels.
That would give Legislatures some time off, too, so they wouldn’t have to work so hard and wouldn’t need a raise. Hey, a win-win all around!
Joe Doakes
It’d give the GOP time to refocus on its actual message, too.
